Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe is a photography book that documents the rave culture scene between the 1990s and the early 2000s. The authors, Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi, use 160 original analog photographs from the period to recount their firsthand experience, the flavor, and values of that historical period when, across Europe, a cultural movement was gaining ground in the world of music and lifestyle.
Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe explores the world of free parties between 1997 and 2004. The book features hundreds of photographs by Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi. The two authors are not just observers; they actively participated in this culture, and their work is a testament to their deep involvement. In a society dominated by rationality and productivity, rave culture offers an alternative that prioritizes emotion, affection, and a sense of community. Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe is a visual manifesto of this imagery.
In 196 black-and-white pages, Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe establishes itself as a true visual manifesto and stands out as one of the few reportages capable of describing an era of clearly defined values, in which music and sharing were the primary means of communication, outside the confines of social platforms and mass communication. Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe is a collectible photography book, with a refined graphic design and a particular attention to the quality of the photographic printing, which makes a notable contribution to the visual and cultural panorama of the rave phenomenon, with never-before-seen shots capable of bringing to light to a unique testimony of a counterculture that after twenty years is still able to leave its mark on the collective imagination of young people seeking their own path in the world.

The accompanying text, written by Rave New World author Tobia D’Onofrio, takes the reader—even the most unprepared—on a wonderful journey to discover one of the last countercultures, so powerful and innovative that it soon became “illegal.” “Rave was born as a disappearing ritual in which the art of invisibility was practiced, and parties were temporarily autonomous and free zones that appeared and disappeared into thin air within a few hours. 1997–2004 can therefore be considered the golden age of the so-called illegal free parties and of rave culture. It was the moment of the phenomenon’s expansion across Europe, […] the rave scene had been criminalized to the point that in 1994 the Criminal Justice Act in England outlawed free parties. At that point, the energies shifted to the rest of Europe, and Italy immediately became the scene of legendary parties.” Rave culture meant taking a step aside, avoiding capitalist society, embracing a “higher” philosophy and a different lifestyle, opening up to sharing, being constantly on the move, accepting another dimension, a new space/time, and cultivating a magical and mysterious meeting place, the party, a melting pot of anarchic sensibilities in which the horror of everyday life was not allowed.
Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi both attended the same high school in Milan. Their paths diverged at a young age to pursue their own careers, but both have never abandoned their passion and dedication to photography. This book offers a unique account of one of the last bastions of a world with its own codes and grammar, impossible to decipher except from within. The book will be available online and in specialized bookstores starting April 15th. A promotional tour of major European cities will follow the launch, starting in Milan and then stopping in Rome, Paris, and Berlin, to name a few.
Never Alone 1997–2004 Raving in Europe is aimed at both a specialist readership, who, leafing through its pages, will relieve the sensations and emotions of a golden age, and newcomers, drawn to the power of countercultures that still influence the collective imagination today. Art publishing enthusiasts will be impressed by the book’s attention to detail, and photography enthusiasts will recognize the Nikon imprint as a trademark of a bygone era.